Day 27 & 28

Dane was here this weekend and it was awesome. He got here Friday night after dinner and gifted me an ashtray from Ken that is made out of a NH license plate. It's pretty awesome. Friday night we went to a combination going away party for Bianca and birthday party for Tim. My contribution was some blackberry currant mead that I bought from the not quite opened yet Caledonia Spirits in Hartwick. At the party I questioned Lee about his School of Forgotten Arts project. I was looking for an impromptu demonstration and that's exactly what he gave me. The man lit my cigarette using two sticks, neither of which was a match. I am going to have to get a basswood plank and spindle and start carrying them around. Next time someone asks me for a lighter I will hand them the wood and watch in amusement as they stare at me with a perplexed look of 'what the hell am I supposed to do with this?'

Saturday morning we went to the store for some freshly made breakfast wraps and had a little chat with John Dunbar's grandfather. He is an amusing fellow. Next we visited the Sterling Farm to see the animals and do a little scything. After that we took a trip to the Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville. We tried 4 brews at the sampling bar and ended up going with 64oz Growler jugs of IPA. On the way back we stopped by a very friendly, well-stocked gun shop in Hartwick. When we got back we watched the rain roll in over the mountains at the sunset spot and talked with Stuart about the farm. Saturday night was the planned time for Dane to play but something about the weather just didn't seem right so we went to the corner house for a jam with Dane on guitar, Trevor on bass and John Belcher on mandolin. Later that night we watched Charles and Brian Clift pound railroad spikes into crude knives at the Sterling Blacksmithing forge.

On Sunday we went down to the store and hung around on the bench for an hour or so chatting it up with the locals. After that we went to the Dunbar Farm to see John's homemade knives. His best skill so far has to be his handles. One design involves the tang going through the middle of stacked discs of ironwood, leather, and part of a schlitz beer can. Sunday night Dane played a very well received acoustic set during dinner. The comments from the staff and students alike were that his guitar playing is phenomenal and his voice is even better. His presence was much appreciated. All around it was one of the better weekends I've had here.

El Arte de Dane